afraid any more."
He looked down questioningly at her, his eyes glistening with love and desire. "Lettie, it's so cold and crude in here—"
She touched his lips. "Do it quickly, Luke, before Nathan wakes up... and before I lose my courage." A tear slipped down the side of her face. "We can make it nicer next time."
He met her mouth again, lingered there before moving to caress her throat. "Lettie... Lettie..." He moved his hand over her drawers, yanked at the waist. Lettie closed her eyes, her heart pounding wildly with fear and anticipation. Luke moved away from her for a moment, and she knew he was unbuttoning his pants. She could not look. In the next moment she felt her drawers being pulled away, down over her knees, her boots. Her skirts fell to hide secret places, but he pushed them back up as he moved between her legs then, kissing her eyes, her throat.
"There is so much more I want to do," he told her softly. "I can make it much better than this, Lettie."
She finally found the courage to open her eyes and meet his gaze. "I believe you, but for now, I just want to be Mrs. Luke Fontaine, in every way, not just on paper. I'll not deny you any longer." She reached up and moved her fingers into his thick, dark hair. "Just love me, Luke. Never leave me."
He licked at her lips. "Never."
Lettie drew in her breath when she felt his hardness then. He pressed against her thigh, while he met her mouth again, moving his tongue deep inside suggestively. For a moment the panic returned. She braced herself for the pain, but he did not enter her immediately. Supporting himself with one arm, he reached down with his other hand to guide that part of man she thought she hated, rubbing it softly against a magic spot between her legs and creating a new sensation she had never experienced. It made her want him more, made her open herself to him more willingly.
"Relax," he whispered between kisses that kept her breathless. Desire was building deep in her belly. It had not been like this before—the gentle kisses, the soft, teasing stroking against secret places. Suddenly she felt a rippling explosion deep inside that made her cry out his name, and to her own shock, she was begging him to enter her, pleading with him to fill her, to make her his own.
She gasped when she felt it then, the huge hardness invading her, pushing deep, branding her as Luke Fontaine's property. Flashes of her rape threatened to spoil the moment; but all the while he whispered her name, told her he loved her, how good she made him feel. In moments the ugly memories were erased by this man who had waited so patiently for this, who had told her she didn't have to stay here.
How could she leave him now? No, she would stay right here with Luke Fontaine and help him build his dream. She arched up to meet his thrusts, and in spite of the cold room, she was warm with passion, protected by his own broad body and the wolfskin jacket he had not even removed yet. She knew they would do this again... soon... and the next time he would want to touch and taste her breasts and they would lie naked together. The thought no longer frightened her. He had awakened something wonderful in her, and she was overjoyed to know how good and sweet this could be. She felt a thrill at the way his strong hands grasped at her bottom while he thrust into her.
She truly belonged to him now, and he to her. She would make sure no other women shared his bed ever again, and she would never disappoint him the way Lynnanne Haley had hurt him.
To Luke's frustration, it was over quickly. He had been too long without a woman to be able to hold back. He figured maybe it was best this way the first time. As his seed spilled into her, he prayed it would take hold. Having a child together would put the past behind them once and for all. It would seal their love for each other, and help ease her longing for her family. He felt an ache inside at the realization that he had not minded leaving his own father and brother at all. He wished he had a family that missed him, like Lettie's.
This would